flossie009

Regent cruise prices for guests booking in North America include Business Class international flights. Regent cruise prices for guests booking in the UK include Economy Class flights (Business Class for PH & above, for cruises beginning or ending in Europe). Regent(UK) will price extra-over for Premium Economy, Business or First Class if required & available.

14 years so far …………..,. and still working for us You already have that choice

………… in your opinion For us, we still favour the Regent offering of fully all inclusive. Our recent experiences of Regent cruises, and the included excursions, have not changed our thoughts.

Agreed. The layout of the public spaces on Mariner is the best of any of the Regent ships. We sailed on Mariner last October and had no issues with the ship, its maintenance or the service we received. We like the dragon on Splendor; much better than the "prayer wheel" on Explorer. Not sure that the Fabergé egg will be much of an enhancement for the new ship. As to its cost, it is a minute fraction of the cost to build Grandeur .............. and the egg will probably increase in value over time, whereas Grandeur will start depreciating as soon as she is launched.

Would a nineteen day cruise from Abu Dhabi to Athens in the Spring of 2024 be suitable for you? https://www.rssc.com/cruises/NAV240425/summary ......... or eighteen nights , Dubai to Athens in 2025: https://www.rssc.com/cruises/VOY250516/summary You might have to waitlist.

Just for clarity, in how many ports have you found excursions to be unavailable or subject to late cancellation on your past or future Regent cruises?

Here is a photo from 2018 of Mariner docked adjacent to Front Street, Hamilton: ……… and a view from the ship:

Security, yes; immigration & customs, no Heathrow Flight Connections British Airways recommends a minimum of 1 hour for connections within the same Heathrow terminal BA Flight Connections (This advice obviously does not allow for the possibility of any delay to your incoming flight)

No need to bring your own. Often they are available as you exit the ship for your tour, if you have forgotten to bring one from your suite ...................... and umbrellas are available for those rainy days

Ah, the old “computer says no” syndrome. Perhaps @Mike Moore can develop a solution for future B2B bookings.

My favourites in Chartreuse are the Foie Gras Terrine, followed by the Beef Tenderloin and finally the Crisp Apple Tart 😋

"Shore excursions are capacity controlled on a first come first served basis. Requested excursions may not be available at time of booking" Did you enquire about excursion availability before booking? Hope you have a fabulous cruise, and are successful in clearing the excursion waitlists; .......... although a day on board during a port intensive cruise can be very enjoyable

In the past we have joined a segment of a Regent World Cruise and thoroughly enjoyed it. Yes, there is the risk of some excursions being waitlisted and not being able to get your first choice of speciality restaurant dining times, but we do not recall this being a huge problem. Are you able to change without penalty? I assume the World Cruise is on Mariner. A concierge suite on Mariner is significantly smaller than a PHC on Voyager, plus you will not have the services of a butler. Although we prefer Mariner to Voyager (better layout of public areas), we find the suites D-H a little snug. If you do change the booking to Mariner, I would keep an eye out for a Penthouse C coming available.

Not surprising given the short time until the cruise. Only suggestion is to waitlist what you can, then visit the Destinations Desk when you are on board. Finally, if there is a specific excursion you would really like to do, go to the theatre before tour departure as some guests may be no-shows, and the excursion staff may be able to allow you to join the tour. Best of luck 🤞 How have you got on with advance bookings for the speciality restaurants?

Yes, opinions certainly differ. The new BA Club Suites are excellent; a vast improvement over BA’s previous Business Class configuration. We flew LHR - LAX - LHR with BA last October and the flights were excellent in every respect. The worst Business Class flights we have ever encountered were on Lufthansa (international & domestic) The only flight connection we have ever missed was in Frankfurt; due to the distance between gates and security queues.

In that case there should be a variety of Regent excursions on offer for the day you are in Rome. You will be able to see what they are by looking on-line at the itinerary for the Barcelona to Istanbul cruise. Suggest you go back to Regent to ask again if they can book you on to one of those excursions. If not then visit the Destinations Desk early during the first segment.

The OP refers to the the ship being "partially chartered". I wonder what that means? 🤔

We are due to call in to Stavanger on Navigator in August. Hopefully no changes as we are the only ship due in port that day 🤞 .......... but it will be what it will be. Possibly appropriate as apparently "a party of Vikings were defeated at Benfleet in AD 894 after trying to loot the Basildon area" (Basildon history)

Earliest booking time for excursions and dining is 8pm ET which equates to 1am BST (midnight GMT) for those of us in the U.K. I understand Regent changed the timing to make it more convenient!!! 🙄

An excursion on turnaround day may be offered, but not until you are on board. It will be dependant on the location and numbers of guests continuing. Check with the Destinations Desk during the first segment. Which port will you be in? A lazy day on board can be a very enjoyable alternative if nothing suitable is available on shore.

You certainly can if you have booked more than one segment, and it is a very enjoyable experience. In some ports you may be required to disembark for immigration formalities, but you will be allowed to re-board shortly after.

I agree that F grade suites offer the best value on Explorer & Splendor, but many of the D&E grade (including 729) have the benefit of a deeper balcony. Also Concierge level will allow earlier booking of excursions & dining.

Check-in at the port and boarding normally commences at midday, but access to your suite may not be available until a little later (about 2pm). Time for a drink and lunch in La Veranda or on deck at the Pool Grill if the weather is kind. Luggage will be delivered to your suite. Exact port check-in time will be shown on your boarding pass, which you will receive after on-line check-in 3 weeks before embarkation.

Although you can only advance book one slot for each speciality restaurant, you can visit the dining reservations desk on board to make further reservations (subject to availability). Being flexible with timing and a willingness to share a table will increase your chances of further reservations during your cruise; although the main dining room, Compass Rose, which does not require reservations, has an extensive & varied menu every evening. Since this is your first time on Regent it is worth scanning through the FAQ section of the Regent website where you will find much useful information, such as the following regarding restaurant bookings: ‘Dining reservations may be reserved online beginning 75 days before your cruise sails, or 90 days for guests eligible for our Concierge Amenities, at 8pm Eastern US Time. To do so, please create an account via the My Account section of our website and access the Dining Reservations link for your cruise via your Booked Cruises. Guests may pre-book one dinner reservation in each specialty restaurant prior to sailing, then subsequent reservations may be made on board, space dependent. Multiple pre-booked reservations in each restaurant are permitted only on Grand Voyages, with one reservation allotted per voyage segment. Guests may contact the Maître D' once onboard to request additional reservations, if available. Compass Rose and Sette Mari At La Veranda do not require reservations’ There are other sections about booking excursions, which you also may find useful Hope you have an enjoyable cruise 😎

Security at Miami required us to show Boarding Passes and/or Cruise Vacation Summaries on entering the terminal building.